Issuu

Vol. XI No. 5

September / October 2017

Serving Soil, Mulch, Compost & Wood Pellet Producers www.SoilandMulchProducerNews.com

NEWS

Colorant Manufacturers Help Brighten the World By P.J. Heller

hen the Eastman Kodak Company introduced Kodachrome film in 1935, it changed the way the people worldwide looked at films and images, from a black-and-white view to a palette of vivid colors. A similar eye-popping experience occurred in 1954 with the introduction of color television. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the outdoors began taking on new vibrant hues, as mulch manufacturers began offering colored mulches, thanks in large part to the work of colorant companies. “The colorants have helped the mulch producers increase their profits, which has allowed them to sell a more diverse product line into the market than what they could with just natural mulch,” notes Kent Rotert, business manager for Colorbiotics. Today there are at least 11 companies manufacturing colorants for the mulch industry, including a handful that also produce their own mulch and soil products. Some in the industry say that with more competition has come increased pricing pressure to retain market share and that

Photo courtesy of BASF Corp.

consolidation is likely in the future, if it’s not happening already. “It’s become really, really competitive,” says Tom Flemming, president of Earth Shades. “Personally I think the colorant side is getting ripe for consolidation.” Another factor that could affect colorant sales in the future is if mulch manufacturers continue to face a dwindling supply of raw materials. Colorant manufacturers say that while the

market remains good, it is not growing as fast as it has in the past. The general consensus is that colored mulch — both bagged and bulk — far outsells uncolored mulch, with some estimates as high as 80 percent for colorized packaged products and 75 percent for colorized bulk products. Most colorant manufacturers market a wide variety of hues based on standard black, brown, gold and red colors; some have different product lines of the same colors. Although trends can change, black tends to be most popular in the Northeast, browns in the Midwest, and reds and golds in the South, according to those in the industry. In addition to selling to commercial mulch producers, some colorant manufacturers offer products for landscapers and homeowners who may want to spruce up existing mulch. Some colorant manufacturers also offer equipment to color mulch; an equipment story is planned for an upcoming issue of Soil & Mulch Producer News. The following companies are among those offering colorants to the mulch industry: Continued on page 3

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Soil & Mulch Producer News September / October 2017

Colorant Manufacturers Help Brighten the World Continued from page 1

griCoatings, a division of American Colors, Inc., provides approximately 20 different colorants of black, red, brown and gold to the mulch industry. It also offers colorants for other materials, including rubber mulch and recycled glass. It offers three different colorant product lines: Legacy, which exhibits fine color and binding characteristics, Advantage, a more economical colorant, and Majestic, designed to produce the most vibrant and durable colors. AgriCoatings can also provide specialty colors. The Ohio-headquartered company sells strictly to commercial mulch manufacturers. It markets its colorants east of the Mississippi and in Texas. Its mulch colorants are manufactured in Tennessee. The employee-owned company has been in business for 42 years providing materials to a wide variety of plastics and coatings industries, including automotive, fiberglas boats, tubs and showers and house paints. “Our expertise is in colorants in four or five different markets,” says vice president James Hallock. “Mulch is a core market for us.” What sets AgriCoatings apart from others is quality and service, Hallock says. “Because we‘ve been in these other high-tech markets, we feel our technology is superior to others,” he says. “We have a lot of tight specifications in those industries and we‘ve taken our technology and parlayed it over to the mulch industry. We feel our product is as good as anybody’s in the industry and our service is top notch.” AgriCoatings 909 Tennessee Blvd. Lebanon, TN 37087 (615) 443-0345

ChromaScape, headquartered in Twinsburg, Ohio, operates four manufacturing and distribution facilities throughout the U.S. It offers a full line of colorants and support products under various brand names, including Amerimulch. Its mulch colorants are sold to commercial mulch manufacturers throughout the U.S. and Canada. It offers three colorant lines, Ultra, Premium and True. It also offers colorants for other products and industries including concrete, sands, aggregates, inks, paper, asphalt and recycled rubber. “Driving innovation is what keeps us ahead of everybody as well as our ability to provide more value to each customer,” notes general manager Scott Thompson. “We’re personally committed to working with mulch producers across the country to help them operate more efficiently and profitably.” That commitment includes regularly traveling to customer sites to help optimize their production processes, review their pricing models and ensure their operation is achieving its greatest profit potential, he says. Amerimulch 2055 Enterprise Parkway Twinsburg, OH 44087 (330) 425-4244 Continued on page 4

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PUBLICATION STAFF Publisher / Editor Rick Downing Contributing Editors / Writers Joseph S. D’Aleo • P. J. Heller Sandy Woodthorpe Production & Layout Barb Fontanelle • Christine Mantush Advertising Sales Rick Downing Subscription / Circulation Donna Downing Editorial, Circulation & Advertising Office 6075 Hopkins Road, Mentor, OH 44060 Ph: 440-257-6453 • Fax: 440-257-6459 Email: downassoc2@oh.rr.com

Subscription information, call 440-257-6453. Soil & Mulch Producer News is published bimonthly by Downing & Associates. Reproductions or transmission in whole or in part, without written permission of the publisher, is prohibited. Annual subscription rate U.S. is $19.95. Outside of the U.S. add $10.00 ($29.95). Contact our main office, or mail-in the subscription form with payment. © Copyright 2017 by Downing & Associates Printed on Post-Consumer Recycled Paper

merimulch is one of the pioneers in the mulch colorant industry with a long history in the landscape industry, dating back more than 60 years when the Kurtz family first started a commercial topsoil company. In the early 1990s, the Kurtz Bros., got into the colored mulch business and in 1998 sold Amerimulch to ChromaScape, which had a history of manufacturing colorants and additives for different markets and applications.

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Soil & Mulch Producer News September / October 2017

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Mulch Producer NEWS

Colorant Manufacturers Help Brighten the World Continued from page 3

ritton Industries began nearly 30 years ago as a wood recycler producing wholesale mulch for customers throughout New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania. Today, the family-owned business is a fullservice company, providing everything from colored mulches and mulch colorants to grinding and land clearing services, compost and hauling. The company began manufacturing colorants eight years ago for its own mulch production. The success of that venture led Britton about five years ago to offer colorants to other commercial mulch manufacturers. “Our colorants became recognized as a quality and cost-effective option within the regional mulch industry,” says colorant division operations manager Jim McNellis. “We now manufacture and distribute millions of pounds of colorant from our new state-of-the-art automated production facility in Morrisville, Pennsylvania.” Britton offers one grade of colorant in ultra black, chocolate brown, cherry brown and vivid red. Britton’s primary focus is the Northeast but is looking to expand.

“In the short term, our new vision includes distribution to customers throughout the Southeast while establishing a manufacturing presence within the Southeast region,” McNellis says. “Our goal is to offer exceptional delivery service to customers located throughout the East Coast while requiring minimal lead time from order placement to delivery. “We offer a high-quality product at a reasonable price,” he adds. “We’re very economical. But that economical factor doesn’t play into the quality of the colorant. Above all else, quality is crucial within a very competitive market.” Britton Industries 1 East M Y Lane Morrisville, PA 19067 (609) 588-8225

olorbiotics is a pioneer in the colored mulch industry, having been in business for more than 25 years. Now part of BASF, the largest chemical producer in the world,

Soil & Mulch Producer News September / October 2017

Colorbiotics’ focus remains on its core business of coloring products. Located in Ames, Iowa, Colorbiotics offers dozens of color options from which mulch producers can choose. These include red, brown, black and gold colorants in four mulch colorant lines — Impact, Mulch Magic, Starburst and Select — for wood fiber. It also has two colorant lines for rubber. Custom colors are also available. Colorbiotics produces millions of pounds of colorant monthly and typically has a supply of 20 million pounds of product at any given time ready for customers. It serves the commercial mulch market worldwide. “Our emphasis on research and development has helped us remain an industry leader year after year,” says business manager Kent Rotert. “Our product testing, expert technical team and research and manufacturing facility help us to continually improve our products and bring new innovations to market. And we are more than a colorant supplier and equipment manufacturer. Our comprehensive services include maintenance, technical and regulatory support and business consultation.” BASF Corp. 1725 Dayton Ave. Ames, IA 50010 (888) 663-6980 Continued on page 7

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Colorant Manufacturers Help Brighten the World Continued from page 4

ustom Milling & Consulting, a Pennsylvania-based company started as a toll milling company in 2002. Based on its expertise in particle size reduction and dispersion, it began producing colorants for the mulch industry about 10 years ago. Today it offers two lines — Premium and Hybrid — featuring nine CMC mulch colorants. CMC sells colorants to mulch producers as well as Mulch Refresh in a bottle-sprayer for individuals to spruce up their red, black or brown mulch. CMC colorants are designed specifically for wood fiber products. The privately-owned company serves the mulch industry in the Northeast, the Carolinas, the Ohio area and parts of the South including Florida. “What helps set us apart from other companies . . . is we try to keep the quality up as much as possible,” says Ashlee Storie, sales and marketing administrator. “There’s a lot more players coming into the colorant field, so it’s getting a little more competitive. People still want

a good quality product over anything else, and we do provide that.” Customer service is also a top priority for the company. “If a customer is having an issue, we personally will go out there and make sure we address it,” Storie says. “We really listen to our customers. Our goal is to form a partnership so that they can trust and rely on us for all their colored mulch manufacturing needs.” CMC Mulch Products 1246 Maidencreek Road Fleetwood, PA 19522 (610) 926-0984

arth Shades, evolving from a long history in the metal coating industry, began producing mulch colorants 15 years ago. The Cincinnati-based company offers a standard set of 10 colors, with its core business being black, brown, red and gold colorants along with variations of those colors. It offers standard, medium and premium grades of its commercial colorants, with grades differentiated by concentration levels of both

prime pigment and additives that help with performance. It can also produce custom colors requested by customers. Its primary focus is on colorants for wood fiber. In addition to colorants for commercial mulch producers, the company sells Mulch Maintenance refresher products for do-it-yourselfers and landscapers. The colorants are available in magma red, terra brown and slate black and come in half gallon, gallon and five-gallon sizes. “We started with a line of colors and tried to make them the best possible,” says company president Tom Flemming. Earth Shades sells its colorants throughout the U.S. and Canada and has partnerships with contract manufacturers across the U.S. “We strive to be more than just a supplier of colorant to mulch producers,” Flemming says. “Earth Shades entire team is committed to working with each mulch producer to analyze their process and look for methods to be more efficient and maximize profits. Our customers are our business partners.” Earth Shades PO Box 43188 Cincinnati, OH 45243 (513) 271-3375 Continued on page 8

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Colorant Manufacturers Help Brighten the World Continued from page 7

lorida Coastal Colors initially launched its colorants as a ”make-it-onsite” system for mulch manufacturers, providing them with raw powdered materials and a mixer to produce colored mulch. That system, introduced in 2002, was designed to offer customers significant savings since there was no need to ship water and the necessary packaging. It is still a popular offering for the company today. “The ability to dry blend colors opens up a whole new world of possibilities for the end user,” notes company president Rich Barcelona. “With the option of blending different shades of standard colors, the mulch producer now has the ability to target specific customer requests if the need arises.” Some customers, however, preferred the convenience of pre-made liquid colorants, so in 2006 FCC began producing liquid colorants. Since then, the company has grown to be one of the

largest suppliers of colorants to the commercial mulch market worldwide. FCC offers standard and premium colorant lines, all designed for wood fiber. The premium line, including cherry brown, kroma red and raven black, provides richer colors. The standard line, including cypress gold, cypress orange and onyx black, is less expensive. Custom colors are available. “FCC’s success has been due to our ability to procure the most talented people in our industry. We take pride in the team we have assembled and consider our workplace environment a family,” Barcelona says. Florida Coastal Colors 550 Elm St. Helena, AL 35080 (205) 664-5041

ilagro Rubber, unlike other businesses supplying a multitude of colorants to the mulch industry, is an international distribution company offering a single colorant: carbon black.

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Soil & Mulch Producer News September / October 2017

Based in Austin, Texas, Milagro provides powdered carbon black not only to mulch producers, but to a variety of other companies where it is used as a reinforcing agent in everything from tires, hoses, footwear and highquality protective packaging. Milagro offers more than 14 grades of carbon black. Milagro, started in 1992, supplies rubber material worldwide and is one of the leading suppliers of synthetic rubber to Mexico. It has been serving the wood fiber and rubber mulch industry since 2000. Its carbon black product is distributed throughout the U.S. Milagro is a direct distributor for Continental Carbon Co. For the mulch industry, carbon black grade N326 is an option as well as grade N300 residues from the others available, notes international sales manager Marisa Barnes. The company can provide quantities greater than 18 metric tons (one truckload) of carbon black super sacks for mulch producers and pigment manufacturing producers, which Barnes says results in better pricing and a constant supply. The dry powder product is also easier to blend, she says. Milagro Rubber 3355 Bee Cave Road, Suite 304 Austin, TX 78746 (512) 330-9352 Continued on page 11

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Colorant Manufacturers Help Brighten the World Continued from page 8

ulch Manufacturing is somewhat unique in the colorant market: it not only produces and sells mulch colorants but is also a mulch producer. It is also believed to be one of the first companies to experiment with and offer colored mulch. It was co-founder Ralph Spencer who around 1987 or 1988 began looking for value-added ways to improve on mulch, which led to experiments with coloring mulch using food colorants and then iron oxide and then working with a paint company. Mulch Manufacturing was founded in 1985 by Ralph Spencer and his father John. Today, the company – with a large mulch manufacturing facility in Callahan, Fla., built in 1989, and a colorant plant in Jacksonville, Fla. – offers nearly 65 colorants for wood fiber. Called Nature’s Reflections, the colorants are sold to mulch manufacturers primarily in the eastern U.S. and in China.

Technical director Rick Starcher, whose background is as a coating chemist, says what sets Nature’s Reflections colorants apart is their strict formulation, such as the type of binder used to make the colorant adhere to wood fiber. “We hold our pigment suppliers to extreme tolerance limits for color properties, particle size, purity and uniformity to provide superb hiding, maximum tint strength and rigorous durability,” he says. “I don’t want to have anything out there that I wouldn’t put on my own yard.” Nature’s Reflections 108 Wilhelm Drive Monaca, PA 15061 (866) 466-9134

rism Pigments has 25 years experience in providing colors to the concrete and masonry industry, so offering mulch colorants was just a natural extension of its business. “Most of our original focus was on the concrete and masonry colorant business,” explains Terry Fenelon, owner, founder and CEO. “About

10 years ago we began developing liquid colors for concrete and that lent itself well to liquid colorants for mulch. We‘ve grown that part of our business very nicely over the last five years.” The St. Paul, Minn., business offers a virtually unlimited palette of colors. “We can make any color,” Fenelon says. “We have hundreds of formulas for mulch. We have thousands and thousands of formulas for concrete offerings. We pride ourselves on ‘color that’s made to order’ giving our customers unlimited options.” Prism sells to commercial mulch manufacturers. It also offers a spray-on mulch colorant — Hippie Mulch — for do-it-yourself residential customers. “We wanted a name that would help describe an environmentally friendly mulch colorant that actually helps to save trees,” Fenelon explains. Hippie Mulch colorant shades include “beatnik brown” and “groovy gold.” “We’ve got 25 years experience in getting pigments right,” Fenelon says. “. . . By continually investing in new technologies, procuring quality pigment resources, and research and development of new products and improvements . . . [we] help our customers navigate the ever-changing business landscape.” Prism Pigments 1251 Arundel St. St Paul, MN 55117 (651) 488-4250 Continued on page 12

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Mulch Producer NEWS

Colorant Manufacturers Help Brighten the World Continued from page 11

.H. Glennon, with 54 years of experience in the adhesive and coatings industry, entered the mulch colorant market in 1997. It has grown rapidly since, with manufacturing locations today in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and South Carolina. It serves customers across the U.S. as well as in Europe and Asia. Glennon sells both liquid and powder colorants to mulch manufacturers; its Colorfast Colorants are designed for wood and fiber products as well as concrete, aggregate and rubber. It also developed a proprietary mold and fungus resistant additive to extend the shelf life of colored mulch. The company offers two colorant grades — Advanced and Quality Colorfast — in both liquid and powder form. Its Advanced liquid formula is available in 12 colors and is formulated with premium pigments and at a higher concentration.

Quality Colorfast liquid is formulated for the more cost-conscious buyer. The powder colorant is available in 14 standard colors. Custom colors for wood mulch are available. Brian Shea, president and owner, credits the success of the company on its innovation, premium colorants, customer service and industry know-how. He tells customers he considers “your challenges, our challenges.” “We focus on increasing our customers’ yields with less colorant, while delivering vibrant long-lasting colors,” he says. “Our customers produce higher yields, increasing their margins, production and efficiencies.” T.H, Glennon Co. 25 Fanaras Drive Salisbury, MA 01952 (978) 465-7222 With all the hues that mulch colorant manufacturers offer, one color that cannot be overlooked is green, both for helping the environment by turning material that might have been destined for the landfill into a popular colorful landscape product and for helping mulch manufacturers’ bottom line.

An upcoming issue of Soil & Mulch Producer News will feature profiles on companies that manufacture equipment for coloring mulch. To be included in this article, contact Rick at 440-257-6453.

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AgriCoatings Superior Mulch Colorants out perform the competition. Our four decades of colorant experience means consistent color throughout your production run. You’ll have a beautiful final product and a very happy customer. If you are looking for an affordable mulch colorant that doesn’t sacrifice high quality consider AgriCoatings. AgriCoatings’ mulch colorants yield consistent adhesion,weatherability, color matching, and coverage. AgriCoatings’ now offers the Renegade - a state-of-the-art,user-friendly, color injection system. Renegade has accurate variable throughput from 40 to 800 yards per hour.

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Southern Pine Beetles Reach Epidemic Level in Montgomery, AL

ontgomery, AL – Forestry professionals’ earlier predictions of a bad year for pine beetles has come to pass and timber losses for 2017 will be significant, say officials with the Alabama Forestry Commission (AFC). Loblolly pine is the predominant species across Alabama’s 8.5 million acres of forest land. And loblolly pine is what southern pine beetles like to eat. The state’s timberland is owned primarily by private individuals, who depend on income, or projected income, from their pine plantations. The beetle infestation that is impacting Alabama will impact the environment and be felt by families for generations to come.

Know the Enemy

ccording to the Forestry Commission’s website, the three groups of southern pine bark beetles are the southern pine beetle (SPB), the Ips engraver beetle (IEB), and the black turpentine beetle (BTB). Each beetle will initiate an attack based on specific causes and each will basically attack a different area of the tree. Even its rate of spread to the next pine is scantly different based on the beetle species. Of the three, the SPB is the most aggressive and more likely to attack healthy pines. The IEB and the BTB tend to only attack weakened, stressed, or damaged trees. The IEB and BTB, however, have a slightly greater host list than the SPB. The SPB generally does not attack slash or longleaf pines unless these pine species are extremely stressed. Continued on next page

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Continued from previous page

“Southern pine beetles are the primary killer of pines in Alabama, with unmanaged and overcrowded stands of southern pines most susceptible to attack. Epidemic populations of this bark beetle occur periodically in the state, destroying hundreds of acres of pines. If not controlled, these expanding populations can devastate entire stands, causing millions of dollars in damage,” said Dana Stone, forest health coordinator for the State Forestry Commission. “When trees are drought-stressed as many are from last fall, their weakened state makes them more prone to insects and diseases,” she said.

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Detecting Pine Beetle Infestations

“T

he Alabama Forestry Commission conducts [drone and aircraft] flights throughout the year for the purpose of detecting and marking beetle spots on a digital map. We then send notification letters to landowners advising them that they have an infestation, along with suggested control measures,” Stone explained. As of Aug. 31, the Commission plotted 2,124 pine beetle spots in the state, or a little more than three times the number of last year’s tally. In 2016, there were 691 pine beetle spots spotted in the state, with an estimated 36,346 trees infested. The numbers are so high, that the commission hasn’t been able to estimate the number of trees infested, or the damage totals, Stone noted.

Managing the Epidemic

n Montgomery County, AFC foresters have aerially detected over 100 pine beetle spots. When the number of beetle spots for a county exceeds one tenth of one percent of the pine-forested acres for that county, it qualifies as epidemic. Stone says that Montgomery County has reached that threshold. As beetles infest an area, they move from tree to tree using touching limbs as bridges. One effective remedy has been to cut down infested trees and create a buffer by removing green trees around the hot spot. Green trees around a pine beetle spot can be sold, but often at reduced prices. “We encourage forest landowners to monitor their property for signs of damage, then contact their local AFC office or registered forester for management recommendations before taking any action,” said State Forester Rick Oates. “The Alabama Forestry Commission will continue to conduct both aerial surveys and ground checks to assess beetle activity across the state.”

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Timber is Integral to Alabama’s Economy

ccording to the Alabama Farmers Federation, timber production and processing is the largest aspect of agriculture in the state and Alabama has the third most timber acreage in the 48 contiguous states, behind only Oregon and Georgia. •

Two-thirds of Alabama, or about 23 million acres, is covered in forestland.

•

About 31 percent of Alabama’s timberland is made up of pine plantations.

•

Timber accounts for about a third of Alabama’s ag revenues, or $21.4 billion annually.

•

Of the state’s 580,295 agriculture jobs and related industries creates, 122,020 are timber production and processing jobs.

According to a MontgomeryAdvertiser.com article, landowners who plant pines expect to cash in on the final cutting, which takes about 25 years. Most see only one cutting in their lifetime, and they hope they are leaving a source of future income for their children. If this winter’s weather conditions are favorable to the pine beetle, families are looking at a virtual scourge. www.grinderwearparts.com

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Soil & Mulch Producer News September / October 2017 15

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ADVERTISER NEWS CBI Hosts 2017 Factory Forum at New Hampshire Headquarters

ontinental Biomass Industries (CBI) hosted its 2017 Factory Forum recently at its global headquarters in Newton, putting on live demos and workshops for guests from around the world. The three day event saw guests from Sweden, Brazil, and various businesses throughout the United States, including local customers who partnered with CBI for the live demonstrations. “Hosting the forum here at the CBI Factory gives new and existing customers a close look at our machines and the dedicated people who make it happen here at the facility,” said Art Murphy, Director of Sales and Marketing for Terex Environmental Equipment – Americas. “It’s great for guests to meet some of our veteran employees who helped build this company and spent the last few decades bringing the CBI advantage to end-users.” The event kicked-off with an opening reception and cocktail hour at the Portsmouth Harbor Events and Conference Center, followed by a factory tour through the CBI facility the next morning. Long-time CBI employees shared company history with guests and led tour groups through the factory to get an intimate look at grinders being prepared for recent hurricane debris cleanup. Tours were headlined by the famous CBI Road-Mill, which was first put into service for Hurricane Andrew cleanup in 1991 and has logged more than 60,000 hours.

Komptech Americas Provides Equipment for Debris Clean-Up

omptech Americas recently commissioned its inventory of high-torque shredders to provide debris clean-up after massive storms ravaged much of Texas and Florida. In total, approximately six machines (a combination of Komptech Terminators as well as Komptech Crambos) were sent to help cleanup efforts. “We knew these states would need all available machines,” says Todd Dunderdale, of Komptech Americas, “We began prepping our inventory to send out immediately. Though both states were hit by hurricanes, the damage each state faced was drastically different. The flooding in Texas required processing household debris, so we sent the Komptech Terminator, our high torque, single-shaft shredder designed specifically for this task. In Florida, we were dealing with wind damage, and processing a large amount of green waste and trees. In this case, the dual shaft Crambo was the best shredder for the job, especially with the high degree of palm shredding required.”

Hoistlift of Florida Joins Bandit Industries

andit Industries continues its expansion of dealers across the U.S. with the addition of Hoistlift of Florida, based in Fort Myers. According to Bandit, the company is known throughout the south-central Florida for their unrelenting commitment to their customers. “Hoistlift is a full-service dealership with a reputation of going above and beyond for their customers,” said Bandit Sales Manager Jason Morey. “They share our values when it comes to customer service, so it’s a great partnership that will benefit Bandit customers on Florida’s gulf coast.” Hoistlift of Florida will offer sales, parts and service for all Bandit hand-fed chippers and stump grinders.

Bandit Industries Renews Partnership With NJPA

he National Joint Powers Alliance (NJPA) has awarded Bandit Industries Inc. a four-year NJPA Landscape & Grounds Maintenance contract. The contract (#062117-BAN) allows governments, schools and non-profits to leverage the power of cooperative contracts to purchase Bandit equipment without undergoing an expensive and time-intensive bidding process. This contract celebrates the continuing partnership between NJPA and Bandit Industries. NJPA members can purchase equipment from Bandit’s complete equipment lineup, saving money and time while getting the equipment they need. NJPA works by creating national cooperative contract purchasing solutions on behalf of its member agencies, which include all government, education and non-profit agencies in the U.S. and in Canada. These cooperative contract opportunities save NJPA members both time and money by consolidating the efforts of numerous individually prepared solicitations to one national, cooperatively shared process. 16 Soil & Mulch Producer News September / October 2017

Two Large Minnesota Biomass Plants to Close

inneapolis, MN – Xcel Energy has moved forward on ending purchase agreements with two biomass plants that would have supplied electricity for ten more years, reports MidwesternEnergyNews.com. The biomass facilities to be closed are the Fibrominn plant in Benson (known as Benson Power), which burns turkey waste and wood chips, and the wood-burning Laurentian Energy Authority (LEA) plant located in northern Minnesota. Last spring, Xcel suddenly announced a plan to switch to renewable energy. The utility has indicated that the change will save $700 million in ten years. An Xcel spokesperson told reporters that the company can purchase wind energy at a rate of $15 to $25 per megawatt hour (MWh) a fraction of biomass cost, which is running $150 per MWh. Going to renewable also will help the company avoid raising rates on its customers. This summer, the Minnesota state legislature approved a bill to allocate $54 million from the state’s Renewable Development Fund. The loss of tax revenue is a concern for Benson, Hibbing and Virginia, the communities directly impacted by plant closures. Owners of logging, trucking wood supply companies say they were blindsided. Xcel’s promise of compensation for ending the biomass contracts early will not be sufficient to save their businesses, they said. Officials from the state Department of Natural Resources and have been critical, as well. They predict market instability and hard times on the horizon as Benson and LEA suppliers start competing in the traditional wood markets and with suppliers to other biomass plants in the state, driving up prices. A U.S. Forest Service official told the Public Utilities (PUC) Commission that the loss of the LEA biomass plant will significantly increase the cost of the agency’s hazardous fuels reduction program in the Superior National Forest. As the PUC considers Xcel’s proposal, a state development agency is also looking at the economic impact and potential of the closures. The two plants make up half of Minnesota’s biomass generation. The Public Utilities Commission closed comments in September and will make a decision by the end of the year. Meanwhile, Xcel’s plan has met with approvals from the Benson city council and the two municipally owned utilities.

PAID ADVERTORIAL

Gro-Bark invests in accuracy and reliability. Gro-Bark, a supplier of sustainably sourced bulk soils and mulches, purchased three block-mounted Load Volume Scanner (LVS) systems for use at their sites in Bancroft and Georgetown, Toronto.

“We ship more than a few hundred thousand cubic yards of material each year from seven different production facilities. We wanted to make sure of accuracy of information on outbound loads.

Gro-Bark purchased the LVS systems to accurately account for product brought in for inventory from outside suppliers and to check trucks are being loaded with the correct amount of product ordered by customers.

The biggest surprise was seeing the measurement of the materials coming onto our sites. We bring materials to our sites from more than 25 different supplier sites.

The LVS system utilizes laser scanning and radio-frequency identification technologies combined with software that creates 3D model images of trucks to measure the exact volume of the material loaded in a truck or trailer bin. Loadscan Ltd Director Carey West, is pleased to report the feedback has been totally favourable. Bill McKague, Manager of Gro-Bark says that there’s no doubt the Loadscan scanner supplies valuable information and is a very easy tool to use. “First and foremost we are very happy that both the scanners we purchased have worked without a glitch since day one. It is always a risk buying equipment half way around the world because one would have a concern about reliability and service. We have been 100 per cent satisfied on both counts.” Gro-bark also purchased a MyScanner remote access service from Loadscan, a secure web portal allowing remote access to their scanner and real-time presentation of scan data with access to support from anywhere in the world. Gro-Bark use the Myscanner API to load the data from the LVS straight into their management software to create invoices without someone having to manually enter the data. He explains Gro-Bark’s primary objective in this purchase decision was to get the most accurate information for invoicing customers for mulch and soil shipments.

We understand that there is settlement in a load of bark that travels to our site, sometimes over a distance of more than 400 kilometres, but the settlement in the load should be consistent from load to load. With the Loadscan scanner we have been able to identify the best value for incoming loads. When load weights are not an issue we want to make sure we are maximizing the volumes. Loadscan enables exactly that.” The Loadscan LVS scanner systems are available in portable, semi-portable and fixed gantry models to best suit the customer’s application. The range of measurable load materials and truck types has been extended. LVS devices are successfully operated on a full spectrum of truck and trailer designs including on-road truck and trailers, semi-trailers and centre-dumpers, as well as off-road articulated dumpers and quarry trucks. If you want a comprehensive volumetric payload measurement system for your bulk facility, get in contact with the team at Loadscan today. Further information is available from Loadscan Ltd., on 1-800-747-2973, email sales@loadscan.com or by visiting the company’s website www.loadscan.com. R

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This Year’s Atlantic Hurricane Season Has Not Been Historically Unusual By Joseph S. D’Aleo

he 2017 Atlantic hurricane season got an early start with Arlene in April, but the most powerful storms didn’t start to hit until the last week of August, when Hurricane Harvey flooded Texas and Louisiana. Harvey was the first hurricane to make landfall in Texas since Ike in 2008, and the first Category 4 hurricane in Texas since Carla in 1961. Irma, the 11th strongest Atlantic storm on record (using central pressure, the most reliable measure), had major impacts on Barbuda, St. Martin, the Virgin Islands, the Turks and Caicos, and southern Bahamas. After crossing northern Cuba, it curled back into Florida. Irma was the first land-falling hurricane and major hurricane in Florida since Wilma in 2005. Since Irma landed, the United States has been hit by Hurricane Maria, a Category 5 storm which battered Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Hurricane Nate, a Category 1 storm that hit first at the mouth of the Mississippi River.

Twelve-Year Lull

efore the landfall of these three major storms, the United States had experienced almost 12 years without a major hurricane making landfall, the longest such lull since the 1860s. The recent quiet period came after three big years for storms: Isabel made landfall on the mid-Atlantic in 2003; Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne made landfall in 2004; and Dennis, Katrina, Rita, and Wilma made landfall in 2005. The waxing and waning of powerful hurricane seasons is not new. Great colonial hurricanes in the Northeast, with storm surges of up to 20 feet, occurred in 1635 and 1675. A Katrina-like storm made landfall in Louisiana in 1722, causing major flooding and damage. The Great Chesapeake Storm in 1769, like Isabel in 2003, brought major flooding to North Carolina and Virginia.

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The Great Hurricane of 1780 ravaged the islands of the eastern Caribbean with winds estimated as topping 200 mph, killing an estimated 27,500 people. It was one of three hurricanes that year with death tolls greater than 1,000. In 1893, there were at least 10 hurricanes, five of which were major hurricanes. Two of the hurricanes caused more than 2,000 deaths apiece in the United States. At the time, that was the deadliest hurricane season in U.S. history. In 1900, the Galveston hurricane killed at least 8,000 people (some estimates are as high as 12,000), making it the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history. Major hurricanes have occurred throughout history, even during cold periods, and there is no evident trend toward more or more powerful hurricanes in the modern record.

Measuring Tropical Storm Activity

Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) Index takes into account the TACEhenumber, duration, and strength of all tropical storms in a season. The Index for the Atlantic Ocean shows cyclical behavior, with no longterm trend but with spikes in 1893, 1926, 1933, and 1950, and then again in 1995, 2004, and 2005. The year 2017 now ranks eighth, with weeks to go in the season, which ends November 30.

Ocean Temperature, Pressure Patterns

breaks between periods of major hurricanes are not unusual. Lin ong Hurricane numbers and severity are in large part driven by changes ocean patterns. The North Atlantic, like the Pacific Ocean, undergoes Continued on next page

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multi-decadal oscillations in ocean temperature and pressure patterns. It has long been known that when the Atlantic is in what is called its “warm mode,” there are more storms than usual. Since 1995, when the current warm mode in the Atlantic began, there has been an average of 14.6 named storms per year, greater than five more than the long-term average during the 1851–2017 period.

El Niño, La Niña

n important factor affecting whether hurricanes impact the United States A is whether there is an El Niño or La Niña phenomenon in Pacific Ocean sea surface temperatures. When El Niños develop, more storms occur in the eastern and central Pacific, threatening Hawaii, Mexico, and sometimes Arizona and California, albeit in weakened forms. These storms enhance high-level winds that cross into the Atlantic. These winds produce shear that disrupts developing storms, causing them to weaken or dissipate and/or turn harmlessly north into the North Atlantic. When La Niñas develop, there are usually fewer storms in the eastern Pacific and less shear to disrupt the Atlantic storms. In warm Atlantic years, this situation creates trouble, as the storms can track the entire Atlantic Basin with more than enough time to transform into major hurricanes. The East Coast is also more vulnerable to land-falling hurricanes under these circumstances. There were eight high-impact East Coast hurricanes from 1938 to 1960, and nine from 1988 to 2012. The most recent important La Niña stretch occurred from 2010 to 2012. During this period, the United States avoided a major hurricane, but major hurricanes at sea made final landfall in the New York City area (Irene, as a tropical storm in 2011, and Sandy, as a post-tropical cyclone in 2012). In 2017, La Niña-like conditions developed again. The warm water and lack of shear contributed to giant storms developing, just as in 2004 and 2005. This pattern may not be over yet. In 2005, Hurricane Wilma didn’t strike until late October. When the United States experiences another year similar to 2017— or back-to-back bad years, as it did in 2004 and 2005—people should understand it does not provide evidence of human-caused climate change. Instead, this is how the weather, driven by natural oceanic patterns, works.

www.buffaloturbine.com

Arthur B. Robinson Center on Climate & Environmental Policy

Canadian Harvest of Peat Moss: 2017 as of August 31

he Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss Association (CSPMA), whose members represent 95 percent of the North American peat production, recently released data regarding the industry’s level of harvest for the 2017 season. A survey of members was conducted on the status of their 2017 Actual Harvest as a percentage of their 2017 Expected Harvest on August 31. Overall the season has been satisfactory with some but not all peatland harvest regions achieving their expected harvest volumes. In New Brunswick, the industry is almost at or slightly above its expected harvest volumes. (New Brunswick North, 104%, New Brunswick South, 98%). The harvest on Québec’s South Shore (90%) is below expectations. A cool moist spring and parts of the summer account for the shortfall. In Québec’s North Shore (98%) the results are more favorable with some producers achieving and exceeding their harvest expectations. The Prairie Provinces (MB, SK & AB), have experienced a mixed harvest season. (Manitoba, 110%; Saskatchewan, 78%; Alberta, 78%). A prolonged spring and cool wet summer months account for the poorer showing in Saskatchewan and Alberta. Minnesota has experienced a similarly lower than expected harvest with only 53% achieved. Further adjustments to this release may be made dependent on the ability to harvest in the fall season.

The center is named in honor of, and chaired by, Arthur B. Robinson, Ph.D., a distinguished chemist, cofounder of the Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine (OISM), and editor of the influential newsletter Access to Energy.

“The Heartland Institute has published the work of many excellent scientists ... [and] has taken the fight right to the enemy with aggressive and highly effective campaigns aimed at elected officials and civic and business leaders.” Arthur B. Robinson, Ph.D. April 2017

t the Arthur B. Robinson Center on Climate and Environmental Policy at The Heartland Institute, we are producing the research and conducting the effective advocacy needed to help restore sound science and common sense to efforts to protect the environment. The Center promotes pro-energy, proenvironment, and pro-jobs policies based on sound science and economics, not alarmism or ideology. Through events, publications, social media, and government relations programs we have changed public opinion on climate change and other environmental topics. We have changed public policy not only in the United States but in other countries as well. In 2017 and onward, we are focusing on winning the global warming war and repealing bad legislation and regulations adopted during the height of the global warming scare. With your help, we can win the global warming war. Please contact us at 312/377-4000 or www.think@.heartland.org think@heartland.org, or visit our website at www.heartland.org/Center-Climate-Environment heartland.org/Center-Climate-Environment.

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FREEDOM RISING

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FREEDOM RISING

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Soil & Mulch Producer News September / October 2017 19 FREEDOM RISING

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Fuel Shortage Looms as Japan Races Ahead with Biomass

okyo, Japan – Although government incentives for biomass remain generous, the supply of woody feedstock, mainly in the form of pellets, is predicted to shrink, reports Reuters.com. A senior researcher at Japan’s Renewable Energy Institute says the equivalent of up to 60 million tonnes of wood pellets will be needed to fire the more than 800 projects approved to date. In 2014, the global output of wood pellets was 24 million tonnes. The 12.4 gigawatts (GW) of capacity these projects represent is nearly double Japan’s 2030 target for biomass in its basic energy policy. The Renewable Energy Institute report raises questions about the availability of back up fuels, such as slash from local forests and palm kernel shells from Indonesia and Malaysia if too many of these projects come online at once. Those feedstock sources would not make up the shortfall if pellet supplies from Canada and Southeast Asia dwindle. At the same time, if China and Korea expand biomass power, the market will become highly competitive. Complicating the picture are incentives that are expected to sunset, and changes in government regulations that favor large companies, or trading houses, such as Marubeni Corp, Sumitomo Corp and Mitsui & Co, all of which launched new biomass plants this year. Sumitomo is acquiring stakes in wood pellet makers to ensure longterm supplies. Utilities such as Chubu Electric Power Co. are entering the biomass market, too. Chubu has plans underway for a co-gen plant. Forestry and paper makers and construction companies are building or planning new stations, as well. The managing director of Japan’s Eco Green Holdings, which makes wood chips from construction waste, told Reuters that company plans to triple its capacity by 2030 to 600,000 tonnes a year. Industry analysts warn of a bubble, but the Japanese government as committed to renewables for 22-24 percent of its electricity mix by 2030.

20 Soil & Mulch Producer News September / October 2017

Raging Wildfires Reignite National Forest Policy Debates

ittle Rock, AR – In August, the National Multi-Agency Coordinating Group (NMAC) elevated the National Fire Preparedness Level to “5”, the highest level NMAC declares. Since then, devastating wildfires raged in September and October. According to an Arkansasmatters.com article, lawmakers in California and Oregon have been at odds over causes of wildfires and their prevention. Some, like Arkansas Rep. Bruce Westerman, blame the catastrophic fires on mismanaged federal land. Others, such as Jim Furnish, a former Deputy Director of the US Forestry Service, blame climate change for the increase in wildfires. Furnish warns that changing Federal Forest Management practices will lead to worsening environmental scenarios. Environmentalists say the proposed legislation is a “giveaway” to the timber industry.

Congressman Calls a Halt to “Fireborrowing”:

ep. Westerman introduced H.R.2936, Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2017, last June. The law would expedite approvals for logging in National Forests and halt the practice of “fire borrowing,” which pays for firefighting costs out of Forest Service management accounts. The Congressman called the practice unsustainable and blames it for fostering more frequent and intense fires. Continued on next page

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“We have set a new record this year in fire suppression costs that broke the old record in 2015 that broke the previous record in 2012 that broke the previous record set in 2006,” Westerman said in a press conference this summer, which were echoed by Department of the Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke in September. “There is a pattern here, yet we fail to act. Forests continue to grow. Disease and insect infestations continue to spread. Fuel loads increase. Temperatures rise, humidity drops, and fires continue to explode in unmanaged forests,” Westerman warned. The National Environmental Policy Act, signed into law by President Richard Nixon in 1970, requires rigorous environmental-impact reports and public hearings. H.R. 2936 would eliminate or soften some of those requirements.

Department of Interior Directs Forest Service to Act Aggressively:

n a September statement, Secretary Zinke directed all Department of the Interior bureaus, superintendents, and land managers at all levels to adopt more aggressive practices, using the full authority of the Department, to prevent and combat the spread of catastrophic wildfires through robust fuels reduction and pre-suppression techniques. As of September, 47,700 wildfires burned more than 8 million acres of forest and grasslands across the Western part of the U.S. In October, dry, windy weather conditions resulted in cataclysmic fire destruction in Northern California. “This Administration will take a serious turn from the past and will proactively work to prevent forest fires through aggressive and scientific fuels reduction management to save lives, homes, and wildlife habitat. It is well settled that the steady accumulation and thickening of vegetation in areas that have historically burned at frequent intervals exacerbates fuel conditions and often leads to larger and higher-intensity fires,” said Secretary Zinke. These fires are more damaging, more costly, and threaten the safety and security of both the public and firefighters. In recent fire reviews, I have heard this described as ‘a new normal.’ It is unacceptable that we should be satisfied with the status quo. We must be innovative and where new authorities are needed, we will work with our colleagues in Congress to craft management solutions that will benefit our public lands for generations to come, he urged. The Department of the Interior is directing managers and superintendents of units that have burnable vegetation to address the threat of fire in all of their activities, and to use the full range of existing authorities, to reduce fuels.

Mulch Producer NEWS

West VA Biochar Plant in the Works

moot, WVA – PPD of WV One, LLC has big plans for biochar in West Virginia – a Proton Power biofuels system in Greenbrier County, according to the International Biochar Initiative Newsletter. A West Virginia Gazette article says that PPD’s leader, Jason Perry, expects to break ground in 2018 a plant that will convert solid waste materials to diesel fuel and biochar, a charcoal used in soil for agriculture. Perry, who has plans for additional plants, says Proton Power’s technology makes it possible to produce 7.2 million gallons of diesel and 7,200 tons of biochar per year. According to its website, Tennessee-based Proton Power, Inc. (PPI) has developed a proprietary, patent-protected, clean energy system for the cost-effective conversion of a wide variety of biomass feedstocks into synthetic fuel, electricity, or hydrogen. PPI systems can produce a high quality, semiactivated carbon biochar product, as well as graphene, in significant quantities. Amy Condaras of Spilman, Thomas & Battle, legal counsel for PPD, told the West Virginia Gazette Mail that the company already has purchased land in Greenbrier County for the plant and intends to break ground on the project once bond financing is secured. “The technology is environmentally-friendly, involving a process that is carbon neutral or negative,” said Chris Hall, director of governmental affairs & business operations with Orion Strategies, a Charleston communications firm that is representing PPD of WV One. The proposed plant will create approximately 160 construction jobs, with an additional 60 to 100 fulltime jobs once the plant enters operation. The West Virginia Economic Development Authority approved an inducement resolution relating to the issuance of revenue bonds for PPD of WV One LLC’s planned Greenbrier County plant project at its monthly board of directors meeting in September. PPD is seeking a series of revenue bonds totaling close to $80 million to help finance the construction and equipping of the plant, among other costs.

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Soil & Mulch Producer News September / October 2017 21

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San Diego Lands $3 Million State Grant for Food Recycling

an Diego, CA – The City of San Diego’s Environmental Services Department (ESD) was awarded a $3 million grant from the State of California’s Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) to upgrade its current composting facility, the Miramar Greenery, and fund a food rescue program. Through a public/private partnership with Kitchens for Good, unused produce and food from grocery stores that would otherwise end up in landfill, are made into free, nutritious meals that are delivered to seniors and low-income residents. Aspiring cooks and chefs working for Kitchens for Good benefit from culinary industry job training and education. This program, along with upgrades to ESD’s composting facility, align with the City’s Zero Waste Plan approved by the San Diego City Council in June 2015. The state grant will help fund major improvements to the Miramar Greenery’s composting operation at the landfill complex. Plans for expanding the compost program involve converting the City’s open air composting operation to a closed system that will enhance operations, reduce air emissions and protect the quality of water at the Miramar Landfill complex. The City currently diverts 104,000 tons of organic waste annually. ESD converts green and food waste into quality compost, mulch and wood chips made available for purchase by the public. Sales of compost and mulch help offset the recycling center’s operational costs. California Senate Bill 1383 establishes targets to achieve a 50 percent reduction in the level of the statewide disposal of organic waste from the 2014 level by 2020, and a 75 percent reduction by 2025. Additionally, the state has set a goal that 20 percent or more of currently disposed edible food should be recovered for human consumption by 2025. The grant was made possible through CalRecycle’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Organics Grant Program, funded by the State’s Fiscal Year 2016-17 Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund.

22 Soil & Mulch Producer News September / October 2017

Corvallis Facility Receives Silver Excellence Award

altimore, MD – A Republic Services of Oregon composting facility located just north of Corvallis has been honored with a national recognition for its solid waste management and composting service. The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) named Republic’s Pacific Region Compost Facility (PRC) the winner of the Silver Excellence Award in the Composting Systems category. The award was presented at SWANA’s annual conference held in September. As one of the largest composting facilities in Oregon, the PRC plant processes more than 120,000 tons of residential yard waste, residential organics and commercial food waste each year, producing compost that is used for area agricultural, landscaping and gardening purposes. In 2010, PRC became the first Oregon compost facility to be approved for special types of organics composting known as Type 3, which include proteins, dairy and all food scraps. The Solid Waste Association’s Excellence Awards Program recognizes outstanding solid waste programs and facilities that advance the practice of environmentally and economically sound solid waste management. SWANA looks at commitment to utilizing effective technologies and processes in system design and operations, advancing worker and community health and safety, and implementing successful public education and outreach programs. Programs must also demonstrate that they are fiscally and environmentally responsible through their compliance with all applicable federal, state and local regulations.

www.diamondz.com Soil & Mulch Producer News September / October 2017 23

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